Chair



"r. R. HAYES Spt. 5, 1 933.

CHAIR Filed Apnil 2, 1930 2; Sheets-Sheet 1 "Spt, 5, 1933. T. R. HAYES 1,925,246

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Filed Apri1 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to collapsible or folding chairs of the class in which the seat is composed of flexible material such as a woven fabric, and is especially directed to the means whereby the seat may be removably connected with its supporting frame members.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a folding chair that may be readily collapsed to occupy a minimum space, and in which the seat, back-rest and supporting structural frame members are so constructed and arranged as to be readily taken apart and assembled.

Other objects of my invention are to provide such a simplified collapsible chair structure that the parts may be manufactured and assembled with a minimum cost of production and affording a maximum of strength and rigidity combined with a pleasing appearance.

My invention in its preferred embodiment affords such a linked connection of the seat supporting rails and associated locking bars as to be readily separated or assembled to permit a rela tive limited separation and independent movement of said bars and rails.

My invention 'comprehends such an arrangement of the seat supporting and locking elements that means forming integral parts of the seat structure are utilized to detachably engage said seat therewith and limit their relative separation.

My invention includes a back-rest removably pivoted to the chair frames and so formed as to conceal its pivotal connection, and so associated with the chair seat as to tend to effect clamping pressure of the seat locking elements.

My invention further includes a table-leaf having battens pivote to the upwardly extending forward and back leg stiles of either or both of the side frames and affording an arm-rest when the tableleaf is dropped into inoperative position and so spaced from the side frame to which it is attached as to permit freedom of movement of the seat supporting rail in collapsing or distending said side frames with respect to each other.

Specifically stated, the form of my invention as hereinafter described comprises a folding or collapsible chair having relatively movable side frames provided with brackets to which diagonal relatively crossed bracing struts are removably pivoted, said struts having at their free ends locking bars cooperative with seat supporting rails to support a readily removable and replaceable seat of flexible material having marginally disposed links, loops or tabs detachably connecting said rails and bars and limiting their relative separation. A back-rest pivotally connected in removable and replaceable relation to the back stiles of said frames and concealing the pivotal connection, serves to cooperate with the seat in forcing the locking bars into frictional contact with the leg stiles and thereby cause increased clamping action of said locking bars and adjacent seat supporting rails upon said leg stiles.

My invention also includes all of the various novel features of construction and arrangement as'hereinafter more definitely specified.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a folding or collapsible chair conveniently embodying my invention; Fig.2 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the looking bars; Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the seat supporting rails showing a spring link engaged therewith; Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the seat supporting rail shown in Fig. 3 and the locking bar shown in Fig. 4, relatively associated in linked relation by the link shown in said Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the chair in collapsed or folded condition; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of a modification of my invention taken centrally through the chair seat and its fastening means and transversely through the seat supporting rail and locking bar, the chair structure being shown in distended or operative position; Fig. '7 is a view similar to. Fig. 6 but showing the chair structure in collapsed condition; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken on the line 88 in Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the chair back taken on the line 99 in Fig. 5; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan sectional View taken on the line 1010 in Fig. 5, and showing the pivotal connection of the chair back with the leg stiles; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the chair seat with its fastening or attaching means shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 12 is a fragmentary inverted plan view of the chair seat showing a modified form of attaching or fastening means; Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the chair seat and its attaching means as illustrated in Fig. 12; and Fig. 14 is a fragmentary perspective view of another modification of my invention illustrating the seat supporting rail and its associated looking bar connected by a cord in loop formation.

In said figures, the right side frame of the chair comprises the front leg stile 1 and the back leg stile 2, and the left side frame comprises the front leg stile 3 and the back leg stile 4, the stiles 1 and 2 being connected by the rung 5 and arm crossing, as at 2'2.

6, and the leg stiles 3 and 4 being connected by the rung 7 and arm 8.

The seat 10 is formed of flexible web material, such as woven fabric, and may preferably have its ends engaged by stitching 11 and 12, as best shown in Fig. l, to provide laterally disposed terminal hems throu h whi h the seat supporting rails 13 and v d. seat sup; ing rails 13 and 1 l are arranged to bear, in slidable relation, against the outer surfaces of the leg stiles of the right and left frames respectively.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the seat supporting rails 13 and 14, which are identical in form and therefore are interchangeable, are chamfered to afford the inwardly tapered structure 15 about which the seat web may best conform, see Figs. 6 and 7. The terminal regions of said seat supporting rails are recessed to provide fiat surfaces 17 and 18 which slidingly bear against the outer plane surfaces of stiles l and respectively, or against the stiles 3 and 4 as may be.

Associated in cooperative relation with the seat supporting rails 13 and 14 are the locking bars 20 and 21 respectively, the locking bar 20 being secured to the upper ends of the trellis braces 22 and 23, which are pivotally connected with the rung 7 of the eft side frame, and the locking bar 21 secured to the upper ends of the trellis braces 25 and 26 which are pivotally connected with the rung 5 of the right side frame, said tr llis braces 22 and 25 and the trellis braces 23 and 26 bein also pivotally connected intermediate of their ends or at their r gion of Each of the locking l its outer edge rounded at its terminal regions to provide cylindrical surfaces 29 which are arranged to bear against the in pleas su ces of the leg stiles 1 and 2 of the right frame or the leg stiles 3 and 4 of the left frame, and has the intermediate region of its outer edge rounded to provide a surface about which the seat 15 may best conform.

As shown in 1 to a inclusive, the seat supporting rails 13 and 14 are loosely connected with the locking bars by the spring links 32 which have one terminal bent to form pintle 33 extended into suitably provided apertures 35 disposed near the opposite ends of said locking bars, see Figs. 3 and 4, links being provided with the sir cular loop 36 arranged to embrace the cylindrical ends of the locking bars as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Obviously, the spring links 32 may be readily sprung loose from the seat supporting rail when it is desired to remove the seat 10.

In the modification of invention as illustrated in Figs. 6, '1 and 11, the seat 50 has its looped margin 51 engaged with the seat supporting rail 52, and has the tab 53 integrall engaged therewith by the stitching 55 forming the marginal loop 51, and said tab is provided at its free end with the snap fastener 56 arranged to be detachably engaged with the spherical head 7 57 of the threaded screw-post 58 which is screwed I the seat 60 is provided near its corners with the I loops 61 which, like the tabs 53, are formed integral therewith by the stitching 62, and said loops may encircle the cylindrical ends of the locking bars, such as the loops 35 of the links 32 in Fig. 4.

In the modification shown in Fig. 14, the seat supporting rail and the locking bar '71 may be conveniently connected for limited relative movement by the cord 72 which may be knotted at '73 and secured by the tack '75, thus permitting the loop to be swung from the end of the locking bar '71 when it is desired to remove the seat.

[is shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 8, the trellis braces 22, 23, 25 and 26 are connected with the rungs 5 and '7, as illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein is shown the rung 5 having the channel shaped bracket secured thereto by the rivet 81, said bracket being arranged to receive the lower end of the trellis brace 25 which is pivotally connected in readily removable and replaceable relation therewith by the cotter-pin 82 extended through suitably providedapertures in the wings of said bracket.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the chair back is formed of a bag-like structure, preferably formed of fabric, embracing the back stretcher bars 91 which are pivotally connected with the upwardly extended back leg stiles 2 and 4. by the pintles 9.2 projecting inwardly through said bars 91 and provided with bearing washers 93 and cotter-pins 95 extended through a suitably provided aperture therein from within the bag-like back structure.

It will be readily observed that by thus constructing the back-rest it may be tiltably supported in removable and replaceable relation to the back leg stiles and be retained by the cotterpins 95 that are concealed by the back-rest structure, which is so arranged as to afford ready access for their removal and replacement. Furthermore, the back structure thus formed afiords maximum strength and when leaned against by the body of the occupant it tends to so draw the leg stiles toward each other as to increase the locking or clamping e;ect of the locking bars 20 and 21.

As shown in Figs, 1 and 5, the arm-rest 6 is so constructed as to afford two relatively angular plane surfaces 96 and 97 of different extent, the surface of greater extent serving as a table-leaf having battens S8 and 99 hingcdly connected as at 94 to the leg stiles 1 and 2 on an axis so disposed that either of said surfaces 96 and 97 may be turned into a horizontal plane coincident with the plane of the arm 8.

Normally, the surface 96 of the arm 6 is maintained horizontal, to support the arm of the occupant, by the excess weight of the pendent tableleaf 97, as shown in Fig. 1. However, said tableleaf may be maintained in horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, by the brace-rod 100 having the slot 161 through which extends the retaining screw 102 with which the notch 103 at the free end of the brace-rod 100 may engage when said table-leaf 97 is raised to the position indicated in Fig. 1.

It may be here noted with reference to Fig. that by the structure contemplated the table-leaf 9'7 when disposed pendent is sufficiently distant from the outer side of the let stiles 1 and 2 as to ailord freedom of up and down movement of the seat supporting rail 13 in the action of relatively collapsing or distending the side frames of the chair.

My invention is advantageous in that the seat and back-rest may be readily removed and replaced so that they may be cleansed or others substituted therefor, and the frame parts may also be readily assembled and taken apart for replacement or shipment.

vI do not desire to limit my invention to the precise details of construction and arrangement as herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modification be therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, locking bars slidable upon the inner surfaces of the leg stiles of the respective frames, seat supporting rails respectively associated with said locking bars and slidably engaging the oppositely disposed surfaces of said leg stiles said locking bars being hingedly connected to said leg stiles, a seat of flexible material having its terminal margins connected with said rails and spring links removably connecting said rails and bars. 7

2. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, locking bars hingedly connected to said leg stiles and slidable upon the inner surfaces of the leg stiles of the respective frames, seat supporting rails respectively associated with locking bars and slidably engaging the oppositely disposed surfaces of said leg stiles, a seat of flexible material having its terminal margins connected with said rails and spring links detachably engaging said rails and embracing said bars.

3. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, locking bars connected to said leg stiles and slidable upon the inner surfaces of the leg stiles of the respective frames, seat supporting rails respectively associated with said locking bars and slidably engaging the oppositely disposed surfaces of said leg stiles, and a seat of flexible material having its terminal margins removably connected with said rails and bars and maintaining the relatively adjacent rails and bars in 2. limited spaced relation.

1. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, diagonally disposed struts pivotally connected in separable relation to the respective said frames and carrying locking bars at their free ends slidably engaging the opposed surfaces of said leg stiles,

seat supporting rails slidably engaging the oppositely disposed surfaces of said leg stiles, and a seat of flexible material having terminal loops engaging said rails and bars. 7

5. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, toggles respectively pivoted to said frames and having bars slidable upon the opposed surfaces of the leg stiles of the respective seat supporting rails slidably engaging the oppositely disposed surfaces, of the leg stiles of the respective frames, a seat of fleible material having its lateral terminals removably connected with said seat supporting rails, and means attached to said seat reinovably engaged with said bars.

6. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, crossed braces removably engaged in pivoted relation to the respective frames and having bars slidable upon the opposed surfaces of the leg stiles, seat supporting rails slidably engaging the oppositely directed surfaces of said leg stiles of the respective frames, a seat of flexible material having its lateral terminals removably connected with said seat supporting rails, and straps connecting bars in removable relation with said seat.

'7. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, bracketsv on said frames having perforated wings, diagonally disposed struts pivotally connected with said brackets by readily removable pintles, and carrying locking at their free ends slidably engaging said leg stiles, seat supporting rails engaging the leg stiles in opposition to the bars cooperative with said locking bars to grip said leg stiles, and a seat having marginal loops removably connecting said bars and rails and limiting the relative movement of the adjacent rails and bars, and operative when stretched taut by pressure thereon to force the locking bars and seat supporting rails into frictional engagement with said leg stiles.

8. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, brackets on said frames, diagonally disposed struts pivotally connected in readily removable relation to said brackets, and carrying locking bars at their free ends slidably engaging said leg stiles, a snap fastening element on said locking bars, seat supporting rails engaging the leg stiles in opposition to the bars cooperative with said locking bars to grip said leg stiles, a seat having its lateral margins removably connected with said seat supporting rails, and tabs connected with said seat and having snap elements complementary to the snap elements on said locking bars and readily attached to and detached therefrom, pressure on said seat tending to stretch it taut and thereby forcing the locking bars and seat supporting rails into frictional engagement with the leg stiles.

9. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, diagonally disposed struts respectively pivoted to said frames and having locking bars slidably engaging the leg stiles of the frame opposite to that upon which they are pivoted, a fastening element on said locking bars, seat supporting rails engaging the leg stiles in opposition to the bars cooperative with said locking bars to grip said leg stiles, and

'a seat connecting said rails and having tabs detachably engaged with said fastening element, to limit the relative separation of the adjacent rails and bars, said seat resting upon said locking bars and tending to force them outwardly against said leg stiles, and limiting the separation of said seat supporting rails against which the leg stiles are forced by said locking bars.

10. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having leg stiles, rungs connecting the forward and back leg stiles of the respective frames, brackets on said rungs, diagonally disposed struts pivotally connected intermediate of their ends and having their respective lower ends pivotally' connected with the brackets of the relatively movable frames, and their upper ends terminating in looking bars respectively slidably engaging the leg stiles of the frames opposite to the frames to which the respective struts are pivotally connected, seat supporting rails respectively having their free ends slidably engaging the front and back leg stiles of the respective frames, a seat of flexible material having marginal loops connecting said rails and bars in readily removable and replaceable relation.

11. A collapsible chair comprising relatively movable frames having forward and back leg and back-rest supporting stiles, seat supporting rails, locking bars bearing against the inside faces stiles, and a back-rest formed of flexible material embracing said stays and concealing said means and cooperative with said seat tending to force said leg stiles into binding engagement with said locking bars.

THOMAS R. HAYES. 

